The Lone Hunter
by internetjon
Summary: A young man has the biggest surprise for his birthday when a ghost comes down to him and tells him he is a guardian. He learns about the earth in its last days and the secrets hidden to the people of the last city on earth. But most importantly he learns of the mysterious group of guardians who where chosen from the living.
1. Prologue

A hundred years have passed since the legendary warlock Jasmine and her fire team destroyed the black garden and took on the vault of glass. Jasmine and her two partners took on and vanquished Crota when he rose out of the hellmouth, she was one of the greatest guardians of her time. Under her protection and that of her team the city was able to grow ten times larger over the next twenty years. Jasmine sat at the console of guardians as speaker of the warlocks and as chief of protection for the city, all guardians looked up at her and wished to someday be as powerful as her. But one day she vanished while out on patrol never to be seen again. Within two years of her being gone the newer parts of the city where over run and destroyed by the hive, Tomb ships invaded coming over the walls still not built up dropping a hive army upon us. Knights and wizards lead thousands of Thrall through our streets killing thousands of citizens. The guardians eventually pushed back the hive long enough to get the rest of the civilians back behind the main walls. Then one day they found her ship along the coast of Europe on a beach, with a large bite out of the wing. The only place more dangerous than the land is the water around here large sea serpents and sharks the size of sky scrapers teeth the size of grown men piranhas that can eat a guardian in seconds. No guardian was stupid enough to enter the water, most would go a hundred miles out of the way to get pass a river or lake. Jasmine is dead.

Sorry for any grammar and spelling errors i'm not very good with this stuff . anyways hope you enjoy it :D


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

"Are the warp drives fixed yet?" yelled Richard from the office.

"Not yet sir" Craig called back as he wiped sweat from his forehead.

Craig's' hair was a dark brown, full of grease and oils from working under ships, and it covered one of his eyes. He kept it that way to hide the scar that ran across half his face, he got the scar two years ago when he got into a bar fight with one of the new hunters.

"I'm done sir" Craig called out as he tightened the last bolt on the second drive.

Richard walked in from the office door He was well over weight and looked like he had white pasty skin like never left the office before, his hair was a dark black color and cut to frame his face.

"Ha-ha" he laughed "Not even Holiday could get these two working again, and I got them working again" he gloated

Craig just rolled his eyes there was no use to argue that he did all the work Richard was just to pompous to be argued with anyways Holiday knew it has him fixing it and not Richard.

"Would you like me to take them to the tower sir?" Craig asked.

"No no I want to see the look on Holidays face when I show her that I was able to fix the warp drives she couldn't" he grinned showing his large yellow teeth.

Richard took the two warp drives and placed them in his back pack then walked out back into the office.

"I want the shop cleaned back up by the time I get back too" he shouted as he left.

"Soon I'll be out of here and working at the tower then Richard will have to fix his own stuff" Craig angrily mumbled under his breath.

He grabbed his bag off the floor and set it on the table, his bag was strange since it was made of steel with some padding on the side that goes on his back. Pressing down on his watch circles of light formed on the bag and the circles lifted off the bag, each turning into a nano-droid.

"Clean up time boys" Craig said then left the room.

In three days would be his twenty first birthday and he could finally apply to work in one of the towers. He hoped he would be accepted into the guardian tower but he hasn't been able to talk to Holiday lately. So he had no idea if she would accept him, but why wouldn't she? He was one of the best engineers around.

He had an hour at least before Richard would return from the tower so Craig decided he would go out for lunch. Down the crowded street a few blocks was his favorite bar "Rustyz Pub" when he got there it was packed with the lunch rush civilians pushing and shoving to get to the bar some just a little too drunk for this time of day. Craig made his way to the bar and flagged the bartender over to him.

"I want a rare steak with all the toppings, it's a big day coming up"

"Of course Craig, but can you come by and fix my sparrow tonight if you get the chance?" The bartender asked him with a smile.

"Anything for you rusty" Craig laughed and grabbed a beer off the bar to find a place to sit.

After walking around the bar he found a seat and sipped on his beer. A few minutes later rusty came over with a steak the size of a head covered in onions and mushrooms, and sat across from him.

"So you excited about your birthday on Tuesday?" rusty asked in half a laugh "oh of course you are" he answered his own question not giving him time to answer.

"You know Rusty one of these days ill get the last word in one of these conversations." Craig laughed.

"Maybe but not today" he said getting up to leave Craig to eat his steak.

After he was done eating and left the bar he started heading up the street towards the garage, the wind blowing slightly from the center. He looked up and saw the traveler, the god from space that now rests over us, floating above the last safe city on earth. With it over us nothing can approach us it even keeps the bad weather out of the city. He got into the garage and the droids where done cleaning and have returned back into the bag, the garage was spotless floor vacuumed and shelves dusted. The door opened and Richard walked in.

"Holiday was excited to see the warp drives working" he bellowed while grinning "she also said happy birthday and she can't wait to see you Wednesday morning." His face becoming very serious "when where you plaining on telling me you were trying to get a job in the tower"

"I thought you knew" Craig explained "you didn't expect me to stay here forever did you?" he asked.

"Well yes I did actually I gave you your break you would be out tending fields for the farms or working on the walls!" He yelled. "How do you expect me to find a new apprentice in two days?"

"That's not really my problem now is it?" Craig responded "It is you who won't have anyone to do your work for you, you might actually have to fix your own stuff." Craig laughed

"Fine if you want to leave then you owe me for all your training" Richard shouted.

"Fine ill pay you that as soon as you pay me for all work I've done around here fully! You have paid me less than minimal wage since the day I started working you owe me thousands." Craig shouted back.

"Get out! Get out now you're fired!" Richard shouted.

"Very well" Craig said as he pressed his watch and the droids came to life. "Pack up boys we're going home."

"Where do you think you're going with my tools?" Richard snapped.

"They're my tools" Craig said calmly as the droids grabbed random tools and gadgets from the wall.

Craig put his bag on after everything was packed he had his back pack on and was carrying a duffle bag full of his tools. He walked back down the street it seemed empty compared to during lunch rush. He walked back behind Rustyz and saw the old sparrow sitting on cinder blocks. Working late into the night, the sparrow finally turned on again and floated off the blocks.

Craig banged on the back door till Rusty answered "she's all fixed now rust, just needed to recalibrate the hover system and put a new spark plug in"

"Thanks boy, make sure to bring the family on Wednesday and ill treat you all to a bottle of whisky." Rusty laughed and patted Craig on the back. "Now get going and say hello to the family for me." He bellowed and gently pushed Craig down the alley.

Craig made it home after midnight and gently opened the door to the small house him and his parents shared, trying not to wake anyone or let anyone know he was just getting home. As he shut the door the light turned on and his father stood in the hall behind him.

"Why are you home so late Craig?" he asked.

"I stopped buy rustyz to help him fix his sparrow" Craig quickly answered.

"Very well get to bed you got church in the morning and don't be trying to sneak into the house again or next time…" he let the statement hang in the air as he turned and headed back to his room to go to bed. Reviling his shotgun leaning against the wall.

Craig went to his room it was like anyone else's room a bed on one wall a closet on another and posters hanging on the walls models posing with guns in bikinis and leaning over car's and sitting on sparrows. This room could be any teenagers' room, until you looked closely and saw, the walls where alive. He laid in his bed and drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

Hey everyone sorry about the late upload with finals and my brother erasing the chapter right when I was almost done with it *glares at him* and leveling my hunter up for the dlc (love the new raid so much more than the vault) but hope to get chapter 3 out before Wednesday if my editor doesn't mind :D anyways enjoy the story everyone.

The room glowed a bright yellow and alarms went off making it impossible to hear anything else.

"Snooze" Craig shouted out loud.

"We are sorry sir but you told us not to let you sleep in on Sundays and to get you ready for church" a voice came from all around.

"Fine mute! Mute already"

"Sorry sir" and the alarms went silent and the lights dimmed.

The wall turned into a large window showing the busy streets outside families all dressed up heading to church others trying to get groceries home or get to a families friend's house to meet up for breakfast. Ships flying through the sky heading to the center of the town where the church stood directly below the traveler, the god of our time watching over us all. Then the bell rang nine strikes, that's when it happened every day, the sky darkened you could see thousands of ghosts flying out into the world to search for new guardians to protect the city. They all left from the church out into the world and surrounding the city to find new guardians to protect all of humanity, those who could use the light from the traveler as a weapon against the darkness that threatens us.

Craig got up and looked down at his dirty cloths he feel asleep in a sighed. Quickly grabbing a new set of clothes he walked into the bathroom and took a long shower, feeling clean he looked at himself in the mirror his left eye almost completely white since the fight all the years ago. He was in great shape with a few small scars over his body where he dropped a knife working or dropped a sparrow on himself he did that a few times more then he would like to admit. That is when he heard it a sound that hasn't been heard in years, the alarm was ringing. He pulled a white shirt on and headed out to the living room where his dad and sister where watching the television. The news was on it showed the guardian tower. Police ships flying around and guardians stood guard at every door, Craig has never seen so many guardians prepared for war at the tower at once before. Below the picture it read "Emergency at the guardian tower reports of mysterious death more information to follow soon". The screen changed to a live feed of the wall where guardians where landing all around setting up guard of the wall along with the police forces normally stationed there, it seemed that the city was preparing for a war. Everyone was being sent home to wait for further orders, the streets where almost empty some people still rushing down the streets to get home. The alarms still bellowing getting louder over time so everyone could hear.

Craig sat next to his younger sister on the couch she was scared and it was obvious, She was eighteen with long strait dirty blond hair. She leaned onto Craig's shoulder while staring at the screen waiting for more news. His father sat in the arm chair on the side smelling too much of alcohol that he must be drunk already. His mother died four years ago coming home from the store, where she got in a crash, a tired wall worker ran a red light and their ships crashed and fell to the ground she probably would of lived if the other ship hadn't of landed on top of hers. Ever since that day Craig's father has been an alcoholic drinking from the morning to late at night not willing to get help, the only time he has been seen sober has been those rare occasions he goes to work so he can earn enough money to gamble again. Craig had to take care of himself and Sarah all his pay went to feeding them and keeping a house over their head. On Tuesday if Holliday hires him he will finally start actually making money and can buy Sarah that new Sparrow she has been wanting.

The screen flashed back to life the golden words "emergency broadcast" appeared in the center of the screen, the picture went back to the tower more guardians have appeared since last time it was shown and all the doors have been closed even the staircase to the vanguards has been covered. There was a medevac ship landed on the lawn with doctors loading a body into it, that's when the news prompter spoke for the first time.

"We have just gotten conformed reports of the death in central tower, at nine o' clock this morning the speaker did not show up at the church to give morning service a guardian was then sent to central tower, or guardian tower as most call it, to see what was wrong with the speaker he was there found dead laying in his bed with his ghost missing. We have not been informed what the cause of death was or time but based on this response we expect foul play was part of it. A new speaker will be sought after right away and the city will be under strict law until further notice, starting at noon today you may once again leave your home until eight tonight when curfew will be in effect and lifted again tomorrow at eight….. Long live the traveler long live the city."

The screen shut off again and the alarms went silent, it all seemed like a bad dream.

"What will happen without a speaker?" Sarah asked finally breaking the silence.

"A new one will be found and until they are the city is at risk we will be under strict law and the darkness could attack the city. " Craig said slowly.

Late that night in the guardian tower a meeting was being held between the vanguard, the governor of the city and the leader of homeland defense. All stood around the large table in the center of the room.

"The fallen have already been gathering at the south of the wall, if they attack the traveler will be unable to help us without a speaker." Ikora said tapping on a spot on the map between them.

"We can only hope the traveler finds us a new speaker soon otherwise they may attack" Cayde responded. "I have a team of hunters on the way there to survey their forces for us but you know I could also go out and maybe help with this war and scale their numbers down a bit" He added with some hope to finally make it back to the field.

"Don't be stupid we can't risk losing another member of the council at this point without a speaker we are already in trouble what would we do if we lost one of our vanguard too." Jessica added.

Cayde stared at her " as governor I don't think you have the right to plan the war that might happen, your job is to keep the citizens calm" he spit out trying to keep the hope of going back out alive as long as he can.

"Maybe not but as the hunter vanguard you have the responsibility to all your fellow hunters not to screw this up for them" skyfox-311 said.

"Oh great who told Mr. Homeland here he could talk" Cayde shouted flinging his hands to the air.

Commander Zavala banged his hands on the large table creating a large crack in the solid table "You're not going out in the field" he shouted and everyone looked at him. "This is not some picnic in the park without the speaker we are all the city has to look to and I'm not about to let them lose more of the governing force. "

Cayde looked down "sorry" he mumbled with just enough sincerity and embracement you would almost think him human.

Just as the meeting was getting under way again the door to the console room burst open and there stood a man with dark black hair and dark brown eyes, he was clean shaved and wore a simple black robe. Everyone turned and stared at him in disbelief that anyone would dare interrupt a head console meeting. Everyone felling uneasy about his appearance and there was something about him that didn't feel right. Cayde reached down a bit for the knife that hung at his leg, while you could see Ikoras' hands starting to glow a deep purple.

"Who the hell do you think you are" Zavala said from his spot on the back of the table?

"Calm my fellow guardians set down your arms" He said looking at Cayde "and fear me not" He turned and looked at Ikora for that part "I am the man you seek I will be the new speaker The traveler spoke to me and told me to come here tonight and tell you all… deadlight"

The console looked at each other in disbelief he knew the word the traveler used to claim the new speaker and then there was a beam of light shined down from the traveler onto the church. They all turned and stared out the window watching the beam then it vanished.

The next morning it was announced a new speaker was found Monday became a day of celebration the whole day was a festival throughout the city ending with watching the guardian ships leave the towers around the city back out into the solar system to explore and fight back the darkness. Tomorrow the scientists and researchers would follow hoping that one day we can bring back the golden age.

"Tomorrow I will be working at the tower" Craig said to himself as he watched the ships fly away.


	4. Chapter 3

hey sorry about the wait with work and holidays have had no time to write sadly hopefully next chapter will come out a lot faster.

**Late Tuesday night**

Craig laid in his bed sore from head to toe bruises and cuts he stared at the celling wondering how his life was so different then it was this morning then he passed out of exhaustion. This day did not go as he planned nothing seemed to be real. How could his life be so different after only one day?

**Early Tuesday morning**

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Sarah shouted waking Craig up.

Craig jumped up in his bed still half asleep looking franticly for the noise that woke him up, reliving it was only Sarah he fell back into his bed.

"What time is it?" Craig asked.

"It's almost nine" Sarah said.

"Why are you waking me at nine let me sleep? The suns barely up." He said as he rolled over to go back to sleep.

Sarah rolled her eyes "alarm on" she said and the room started screaming alarms going off and room filled with light.

"Alarm off" Craig called and sat up. "Alright I'm up already what's for breakfast".

Sarah shoved him over "make your own breakfast your twenty one now"

"Oh shit it's my birthday!" he shouted as he jumped up. "I need to get dressed I have to get to the tower!"

The church bells rang in the distance "Ring…. Ring…. Ring…. Ring…." It was nine and the ghosts emerged from the church to scan the wilds looking for a new guardian.

Sarah left the room to give him some privacy and Craig quickly pulled on a clean shirt over the old shirt he wore to sleep last and a pair of jeans. Running to the living room Sarah stood there holding out a protein bar and a cup of orange juice for him, quickly drinking the juice and putting down the glass he hurried for the garage.

"Be home in time for dinner I'm making your favorite" Sarah called after him.

"You're the best ill be home as soon as I can" he called back.

Quietly to herself she smiled and said "I know".

He started his sparrow and headed down the road as fast as he could swerving threw traffic he was late for his first day of work already. Let's hope Holiday will be forgiving enough to give him a second chance. The tower was about ten kilometers away he almost made it without a problem then he heard sirens behind him looking back there where two cops following him.

"Pull over" one shouted threw an intercom on his sparrow "stop your sparrow imminently" he continued.

Slowing down to a stop on the side of the road Craig hit himself in the head just thinking how could he be so stupid you can't speed towards the tower without the cops coming. That's when he saw it.

A ghost flow down to him _hello guardian, I've been looking for you for a long time._

The cop walked up to the sparrow taking out his ticket book. "Well well what do we have…." Stopped mid-sentence seeing the ghost "oh I'm so sorry to slow you down guardian please forgive me and be on your way" the cop said as he quickly backed up to get back to his sparrow.

"Well thanks bud I don't know why you came down here but you got me out of a big ticket" Craig said to the ghost.

I've already told you why I came down to you I'm a ghost, well actually I'm your ghost now. Here this will be more appropriate for you. The ghost split apart into multiple little triangles floating around the eye, and beam of light shot out of it onto Craig creating armor that fit nicely over his cloths.

"Wait I can't be your guardian… I'm not dead" Craig said.

That actually isn't true we don't only take the dead to become guardians we just take more from the dead then the living because well there are more dead out there. If you look at the exo's they are neither dead or alive, but most newer exo's will never become guardians as it's harder for the new models to grasp the power of light.

"So you're serious I'm a guardian?" Craig said the surprise sill evident in his voice.

Yes I'm very serious… why are humans so… well annoying.

"You're no walk in the park either" Craig said rather annoyed.

Maybe not but we will be spending a lot of time together now so you better get used to it, anyways we nrrd to get to the tower you have some training to get to.

The tower wasn't far ahead they reached there with another five minutes of traveling this was not the first time Craig has been to the guardian tower but this will be the first time he's not escorted the entire time threw it. The huge double doors loomed ahead as he walked the remaining distance to the tower, he had left his sparrow at one of the few spots to leave a sparrow. The doors where five meters tall and 3 meters wide the ghost floated up to one of the guardians standing post in front.

Greetings guardian we have a new guy here needing to go up. Got to get him to training right away.

The Guards looked at the ghost then at Craig, they looked to each other than stepped apart and the doors slowly slid apart revealing the large Iron Gate behind it. That slowly raised up giving access into the tower. There was a long hallway that led to a much smaller set of double doors leading into an elevator. They quickly lifted threw the tower stopping at the one hundred and fifteenth floor two floors below the top. There were a few guardians here sitting at desks, a man stood in front of the desks looked back where Craig stood.

"Who the hell are you, new meat?" the man said.

"Well I guess I'm not entirely sure" Craig said.

"Well what's your name boy?" He asked.

"Craig sir" Craig responded.

The ghost floated between the two of them.

He's a new guardian I picked him up this morning he has the light inside of him this one is powerful. There are very few guardians I've seen with as much light as him inside of them this one will be a great guardian.

"Fine you want to be a guardian let's start with seeing how fit you are give me five hundred pushups… GO!" he snapped.

Craig dropped to the floor and started doing pushups right away, one... two… three… four… five… then the boot slammed into his back slamming Craig into the floor. He pushed up and continued doing pushups with the boot on his back. After two hours he was done with the pushups and was completely exhausted he stood back up putting his hand on wall to steady himself.

"Well well most people take a few days to do five hundred, your either stupid or in amazing condition" the man said. "My names Jeff I am the trainer for all new guardians you will be under my order until I say otherwise after I'm done with you, you will be transferred to the vanguard of your class by the way what class are you in?"

Well that's actually one of the problems he doesn't show sign of any class yet I was hoping his class would be triggered during the first fight.

"Well that's unusual but we can work on this sit down I have a class to teach". Jeff stated and went back to talking about the auto riffle.

After the first few classes and lunch they went down stairs to an indoor obstacle course they stayed there for three hours running the course over and over people falling down and having to restart. The rules where simple do the course flawless five times in a row and you could go home. Craig however was on his tenth perfect run, no one else has given five runs yet.

"Craig get over here" Jeff shouted.

"Yes sir?" Craig responded.

"Get home already it's ten and I'm moving you into a more advanced schedule, this one seems to be too easy for you. Be here at o' eight hundred hours tomorrow morning" Jeff said then started yelling at the other five guardians running the course.

Craig went back up stairs to the lockers and grabbed his bag out of it. Then decided to go visit Holiday while he was at the tower. He went up the last two floors and the elevator opened, to the courtroom where most the guardians spend their free time. The north part of the tower was closed for the night already the vanguard room would be closed soon too. The south part of the tower was always the last to close for the night, Holiday was always the first one to the tower and last one to leave at the night. She had to stay late so any late arriving guardians can bring the ships in and store them in the garage under the tower.

What are you up to? Shouldn't we go back to your house master Jeff said that we had an early morning tomorrow.

"ya well I want to see a friend of mine" Craig responded.

Craig went into the south tower where the hanger bay is and went up to Holiday.

"Hey holiday sorry about never being able to show up" Craig said.

"ya I was really expecting you to come in today what happened"? Holiday asked as she sat down on her desk.

"Well this happened" he said and the ghost appeared besides his head.

Evening how are you?

Holiday looked at him surprised "how did you become a guardian"? She asked amazed.

"Well I was on my way here and this guy flew down to me and then I was a guardian, I'm still not sure how it all worked out." Craig said.

"Well tell you what get yourself some glimmer I'll give you a deal on it." Holiday smiled. "But it is a shame that you won't be working here it's a damm shame your mechanical mind will be wasted. Hunting these dammed beasts."

"sorry about that Amanda but I'll be sure to come help out as much as I have time for." Craig responded.

"Well that's nice of you maybe you could show some of my mechanics a thing or two." She responded. "Now get going I need to start packing up to close for the night" she stated as she picked up files off the desk to put them in the filing cabinets and then to her room on the one hundredth floor.

Craig took the long elevator ride down to the ground floor and walked out the doors the guardians saluted him and continued to stand guard as the doors slowly closed after Craig walked out and to his sparrow to head home for the night. The streets where empty it was late and everyone was home or at the bars betting on the crucible.

Two sparrows pulled up alongside Craig, they were completely black and the riders wore black armor with helmets. They took turns banging into the sides of Craig's sparrow. One pulled back a bit and the other went to the side street, then the one slammed back into his side knocking it over and causing him to fall off and got cut up and bruised. One got off his sparrow and stepped above him.

"You the new meat kid?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Craig coughed out spitting blood out.

"You're the new guardian making the rest of us look bad" the stranger said.

"Cops!" the other guardian yelled her voice cutting through the air.

"Listen to me boy this is the last warning you get" the other said as he got back on his sparrow and the two road away.

Craig laid in his bed sore from head to toe bruises and cuts he stared at the celling wondering how his life was so different then it was this morning then he passed out of exhaustion. This day did not go as he planned nothing seemed to be real. How could his life be so different after only one day?


	5. Chapter 4

Hey everyone finished writing this the other day it seems kinda short to me but it has a lot of detail i think and hope you'll like it The next chapter will be describing his trials in the room for the first day. Anyways here you go the next chapter in _The Loan Hunter _

The early morning sun was just peaking over the horizon giving the first light of the day.

Wake up guardian.

Craig slowly opened his eyes and looked at the clock sitting on the end table, it said six o' five. His alarm not even set to go off before seven.

"What do you want ghost

It's time for you to go to the tower for training you have to get ready and leave soon.

"What are you talking about I don't have to leave for another hour and a half." Craig protested.

Maybe normally but there was an accident on the highway today and traffic is backed up across the city if we don't leave in the next fifteen minutes you won't get to class on time.

There is no way you can know that you've never even seen me drive or know what way I will take." Craig yelled then pulled the blanket over his head.  
Humans you're all the same….

The ghost split into multiple little triangles again and a beam of light came out teleporting Craig two feet to the left… leaving him to fall to the floor.

"What the hell was that" Craig jumped up and looked around.

That was me seeing you didn't want to wake up the easy way.

"Is there a chance I can get a ghost with a little less attitude" Craig snarled at the ghost

No

Craig finally gave up arguing with the ghost since it didn't seem to be getting him anywhere and got ready to head out to the tower. He figured when he got there an hour early he would be able to help out Holiday and maybe earn some money to buy himself a ship. The Cheapest jump ship there is costs about three thousand glimmer, Craig had about one hundred glimmer and a mortgage payment due on the house next week. He ate a small breakfast of eggs and toast, cleaned up the kitchen and was about to go when the door opened. Sarah walked in still tired and in the cloths she slept in.

"Where are you off to so early I barely got to see you yesterday you were off at tower all day and when you finally did come back home you were covered in cuts and bruises… Wait where did all the cuts go." Sarah said shocked as she realized he had no injuries.

Craig looked down realizing himself that all the cuts were gone and his mussels no longer felt sore. "I don't know I didn't even realize it." He responded.

The ghost appeared between the two of them which left Sarah with more questions than before. I healed them and Craig if we don't start moving you will be late.

"Wait" Sarah Screamed "When the hell did you become a guardian. Wait when did you die" Sarah getting more and more confused.

Can I answer this that way we can leave soon we really don't have the time for this. Okay he didn't die that is a myth we can pick anyone who can use the light to protect the city they don't need to be dead, and he became a guardian yesterday at nine forty-five two clicks south of the central tower and now he is running late for training can we go now?

Craig quickly hugged Sarah "I'll be safe I promise "this is what we've always needed ill finally be able to make more glimmer to take care of us all.

"I still don't like this idea" Sarah said.

"I know and I'm sorry but it's the only way we will be able to continue living here I have no other job now that Richard fired me and there's no way he'll hire me back even if I wanted to go back" Craig said.

"Well why can't you work with Holiday like you planed on" Sarah pleaded.

"Sarah doing this I could pay off the house and everything we owe in a few weeks once out of training or I would be working for holiday for the next sixty years to pay it all back before I start making money" Craig tried reasoning to her. "I promise after I pay everything off I will resign to wall duty if you want so you know I'll be safe."

"Fine go, but be careful" Sarah finally said after a moment of silence.

"Everything will be fine sis if anything happens my ghost can fix it apparently" Craig said looking at the ghost.

Yes Yes I will keep him safe and alive anything else or can we go we have exactly 23 seconds to leave the house or else you will be late to class…. Why don't you just get a room in the tower like all the other guardians?

"Well the biggest reason is I have family here in the city where the other guardians do not plus I don't know about you but I don't have the money for two houses" Craig said as he got on the sparrow. "Oh by the way can you change this armor the color just doesn't seem like me" Craig said with a grin as he left the house on the way to the traveler.

Well what color would you like it to be then?

Oh I don't know maybe a grey or a white anything but this tan color. "Craig said.

Well after training today I'll take you to the outfitter and you can find a shader you like for your armor.

Very well then and since you know so much about the traffic today how about you tell me the fastest way to get to the tower.

After the drive and being stuck in traffic for a hour they finally arrived at the tower with ten minutes left before he had to be there, minus the five minute elevator ride and going through security they made it to the class with one minute left. As soon as the clock hit eight and the first bell could barely be heard the door on the far side of the room opened and Jeff stepped in.

"Good this one knows how to read a clock" Jeff said as he sat on the table in front of the class. "Okay you will be moved into the advanced schedule today that meant you will be here at eight every morning and you can leave at ten every night if you have your work done this week you will start learning your basic survival skills Next Weekend we will put those skills to the test. Then after that you will move up into basic then advanced combat then move to automotive combat. Once you're done with that you will learn advanced weapons, weapon design and weapon field repair then we will finish you off with advanced unarmed combat. This should all take about a year to go through you will get a quick preview on it all over the next month to prepare you for rookie week then after that hard training on ever subject. Any questions?" without giving Craig time to ask any questions he stared talking again "Good then let's get you down into basic survival skills my assistant Andrew is down there waiting for you it is three floors down get moving. " Jeff said then stood up and moved to the board and started writing.

Craig stood up and walked trying to remember everything he was just told he was doing survival training then combats then weapon design then more combat and he was going to go over everything in a month so he knew everything he would for rookie week. Before he even relied it he was in the elevator going downstairs to meet this Andrew person. The doors of the elevator opened to a small hallway with one desk and a huge door behind it. There was an exo standing behind the desk looking at files then shredding them.

"I'm looking for Andrew" Craig said and the exo looked up.

"That's me Andrew-23 and you must be Craig correct?" He said

"Yes I'm Craig" He responded looking at the desk, it was full of papers covered with numbers and letters.

"Okay then how much do you know about basic survival techniques and skills." Andrew asked

"Not much I've lived in the city all my life" Craig responded.

Andrew looked up "You were born in the city? And accepted to be a guardian?"

"Well Ya" Craig responded not knowing where this conversation was going.

"That's incredible in my four hundred years of working here I've only meet two others that where born in the city." Andrew stated then trailed off mumbling to himself, deciding rather to keep talking or to let it go.

After a minute of the mumbling Craig decided it was best to cut in "Anyways what are we going to do down here?" he asked.

"Ah yes let's get started, you will be put in the room next door it is an enclosed simulated environment that we can change for any situation you want to practice on. Right now however we will be focusing on the environment around here as your startup we will equip you with any weapons you want and there will be virtual fallen spawning in the room. I will monitor you from out here to judge how well you work in there." Andrew started going off into another rant to himself.

"So, where do I pick a weapoon?" Craig asked.

"What? Oh yes a weapon you can pick one here." Andrew pointed to the wall and a screen turned on with different types of weapons from machetes to rocket launchers, knives to mini-guns.

"So I can pick any weapon and it will be delivered to me in?" Craig asked.

"Oh yes any weapon you can think of we have some weapons are locked at this time though." Andrew stated.

Craig walked up to the wall and looked at all the choices, there was close quarter mid-range, long-range, traditional, and futuristic weapons. Slowly he looked threw the close range weapons, there was a hunter knife listed here that Craig selected, then a message popped up stated to pick a second weapon. After a few minutes scrolling through the mid and long range weapons he taped the traditional button there was a split sword and duel wielded swords. Then he saw it a recurve bow, the stats symbols came up mid to long range high impact a quiver of twenty seven arrows and can be upgraded to get different tips for your arrows. He clicked the picture then hit confirm, two minutes passed then a drawer opened in the wall with the knife and the bow sitting there.

"Step forward to the large door please." Andrew said as he went to the desk. And typed in a code.

The large door started to spin around going back into the wall then steam spilled from a line going across the sides, and the circle split in half then opened into a large room. Trees where in the room large red wood trees towered a hundred feet into the sky it was bright inside there where clouds and birds and…. It was outside except there where walls surrounding it. There was a mountain in the center of the room and Craig could see a water fall running down it, Craig turned around and the door was shut, he was locked inside to begin his training.


	6. Chapter 5

Hey guys :D well this is by far the largest chapter to date, and i hope you like it. The font i used for the whole list thing and describing area and what not doesn't seem to work :( anyways here's the next chapter i hope you enjoy it. I think ill be having you all send me ideas for more guardians to in list into the story i need name and description and i hope the next chapter will be out a lot faster then this one. enjoy.

**First day survival training- 8:20 a.m. **

**Location- tower survival simulator**

**Subject- Craig Hunt**

**Class- Unknown**

**Notes- **

**Weapon Choice- B -**

**Shelter- **

**Food- **

**Fire-**

**Water- **

**Kills- **

**Other-**

**Inspector- Andrew-23**

Craig looked around the environment it looked so real, it smelt like oak and maple, it felt real. The wind in the room was gently blowing and there were some dark clouds starting to form. Then he realized he was hearing something very unusual, it was birds flying around. He quickly turned to the side when he heard the bushes shake only to watch a deer walk out of them, look at him then run away.

"Okay your first test has started" Andrews voice spoke from all around Reminding Craig he was still inside and this was a test.

**First day survival training- 8:30 a.m.**

Craig looked around then back to the sky and saw the dark clouds growing quickly he knew he was going to need to make shelter soon or he could fail on this first day. He walked forward towards the jungle so he would be able to find some material to build with that the field he was in seemed to lack. He jogged forward reaching the edge of the jungle in a short four minutes then checked the sky. At the rate the clouds where moving they would reach him in about twenty minutes if he was lucky, he had to build himself a shelter now. After cutting three large branches with his hunter knife he tied them together with some vines that where hanging down off the canapé high above.

**First day survival training- 8:45 a.m.**

The wind was growing fiercer every second that pasted, Craig has set up a basic teepee design and built a small fire in the center that he checked on frequently as he continued adding branches to the hut. He built this teepee right on the edge of the jungle and the field that surrounded it on a small mound of dirt. Judging the distance to the mountain and assuming the mountain is in the exact center of the room he estimated that the room had about a five thousand meter diameter. But that mountain kept calling to him he knew he wanted to get to that mountain and he would as soon as this storm passed.

**First day survival training- 8:52 a.m. **

**Location- tower survival simulator**

**Subject- Craig Hunt**

**Class- Unknown**

**Notes- **

**Weapon Choice- B -**

**Shelter- c -**

**Food- **

**Fire- a**

**Water- **

**Kills- **

**Other-**

**Inspector- Andrew-23**

The wind blew hard if Craig hadn't weaved some vines around the entire thing pieces of his small home would have flown away by now. The rain was worse being on the small mound of dirt he was, it hasn't pooled yet but it was only a matter of time, his fire almost gone he has been able to keep it alive so far but this storm was fierce. With most of the atmosphere gone in this time storms where often this violent and sudden and it was a problem many guardians have to face, only the city was safe from the weather thanks to the traveler.

**First day survival training- 9:15 A.M.**

The storm died off quickly becoming nothing, disappearing just as fast as it arrived the teepee was almost completely destroyed Craig was wet but not soaked like he would have been out in the open, the fire was long put out he was back to having nothing but his bow and knife.

"Ghost" he called out.

His ghost appeared right in front of him. Thank you for not calling me out here during that storm it looked bad.

"Yeah no problem it was a walk in the park" Craig grined. "Now how exactly are you able to help me?" Craig asked.

Well what do you want me to do? I can do about anything you want.

"Well first off can you connect my armor to my watch" Craig said. "And then can you connect yourself to the watch wirelessly?" he continued.

Why would I want to do that? There seems to be no point in that that I can see.

"Well this armor is new I'm not use to it where I am use to my watch so if I can access my watch I would be a lot better off, and if you connect to my watch I can put it in surveillance mode and hopefully see everything you see." Craig stated.

Why would I want you to see what I see?

"Well I'm not so worried about what you see but about what I want to see that I cannot see… yet" Craig said.

I don't like this idea but fine…. I'll see what I can do.

The ghost split to pieces and the beam of light shined down onto Craig the watch appeared built into the armor the small screen seemed like it was always there. Then the ghost vanished for a moment then reappeared.

There you go it should do exactly what you now

"Well let's try it out then" Craig said then hit the screen on the watch a few times.

The radar inside of Craig's helmet changed into a little screen looking at himself. The ghost flew around a bit just to make sure that it worked.

"Okay fly to the other side of the room to make sure it works at distance too." Craig said.

Well it should work as long as we are able to communicate but I'll try it out if you really want.

"Well I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want it now would I?" Craig said.

And you said I had an attitude.

The ghost flew forward and into the jungle over the mountain and across the room Craig able to watch the entire thing. An hour passed as Craig hiked threw the jungle, nothing seemed to live in the jungle, or worse what ever lived in the jungle was hunting its own prey. Craig made it to the mountain sometime around noon where he had decided to set up camp for the remaining of the week. After several minutes of the ghost scouting caves for him he picked a cave he felt was the best one for a shelter, there was a small entrance to get in and after a few meters the cave grew quickly in size making enough room to stay comfortably.

**First day survival training- 12:37 P.M. **

**Location- tower survival simulator**

**Subject- Craig Hunt**

**Class- Unknown**

**Notes- Has shown knowledge of robotics wiring the ghost to what seems to be a watch, more to find out soon. **

**Weapon Choice- B -**

**Shelter- c + **

**Food- **

**Fire- d**

**Water- **

**Kills- **

**Other- **

**Inspector- Andrew-23**

Outside survival room

"How is he doing?" Jeff asked Andrew as they watched the screen.

"Well so far he is showing signs as to being a titan by traveling to the mountain but at the begging of the test I would have placed him as a hunter. He seems to also have some talents that most guardians don't have living in the city his whole life. I've never of thought of connecting my ghost up to a watch he seems to have much potential" Andrew replied as they stared at the screens.

"Have you let any fallen out yet?" Jeff asked.

"No I don't normally do it till about three so I can really assist the survival methods after fallen are released it becomes more of a hunt or hide for some people." Andrew explained.

"Let out some fallen it will take some time for them to get there anyways, I want to watch how he deals with them after my next class so make sure they do get to him by then." Jeff said as he turned away back to the elevator.

Inside Survival Room

**First day survival training- 1:00 P.M. **

**Location- tower survival simulator**

**Subject- Craig Hunt**

**Class- Unknown**

**Notes- Has shown knowledge of robotics wiring the ghost to what seems to be a watch, more to find out soon. **

**Weapon Choice- B -**

**Shelter- B + **

**Food- **

**Fire- d -**

**Water- **

**Kills- **

**Other- **

**Inspector- Andrew-23**

Craig has built a wall out of bamboo blocking off the back of the cave that seemed to go on for ages, he didn't want anything coming in from that way and surprising him. He also made a door that went across the front of the cave to close that way too, the door was covered in branches and dug up bushes making it blend in with the other bushes in the area covering the mountain. Inside the cave was still simple the backpack that was supplied to him sat in the corner of the room it had a little rope left and an empty canteen inside of it with a few clothes. The bow and quiver was laid on top of the bag. That was all the room contained.

"Ghost can you come here?" Craig said.

I have always been here you just couldn't see me. What do you want this time though, and please don't be connecting me to your shoe this time…

"Why in the world would I connect you to my shoe? That doesn't even make scene." Craig said.

Nothing you do makes scene.

"Well alright then, well if you don't mind I'm going to go get some water and was hoping you could watch my back as I get it." Craig said annoyed at the ghost.

There was a spring that ran down the mountain forming to a pond at the bottom, he filled the canteen with water it looked clean but Craig wasn't going to try to drink it yet water has become very polluted since the golden age, fallen have been poisoning water supplies and the radiation off of old ships and power plants have covered the globe he was going to have to clean this water first.

CRAIG

Startled by the ghosts yell Craig looked up "What's going on?" he asked.

Keep your voice down dammit my sensors have picked up movement down the hill a bit farther, most likely fallen based on size but I don't know for sure yet.

Hitting a button on the side of his watch his visor turned on letting Craig see the radar, his ammo supply, and his own vital signs along with now being able to zoom in and scan environments in front of him. A chunk of the radar turned red saying whatever it is must be close. He slowly reached behind him for an arrow as he slowly backed up out of the river. His bow was a few feet away laying on the river bank.

Okay its one Dreg, probably the scout for a small team of fallen that are still out of range of my scans.

"What should I do?" He whispered so his voice couldn't be heard outside of his helmet.

Well it's almost too late to run without him seeing you so you either kill it or you better start running and hope it doesn't hear you.

"Neither of those choices sound too good if I kill this one the rest will know I'm here and if I run well you said it yourself it's too late" Craig said in the same whisper.

Well with that being said I guess the only real option is where do you want to fight them we can do it here or you need to kill him and move where you want to fight.

"Well there is really no advantage for me here all the advantage is with them they have better coverage and their weapons will give me a disadvantage" Craig whispered to himself "But where is it that I get the best advantage"

How about you go up into the trees the canopy should hide you your weapon is silent so they won't find you that way plus the fallen rarely use helmets so if you do hit them it should kill them easily.

"That's a good idea actually okay I kill this one then head down the mountain to surprise the rest of the fallen." Craig said then focused on his watch the radar was a bright red meaning it was only moments till the dreg walked out of the woods to see Craig.

He pressed some buttons on his watch turning his vision into thermal he could now see the dreg threw the trees, and knew right where it would be appearing any moment. Slowly he brought the bow string back ready to let the arrow fly into the dreg's soft skull, he took a deep breath let half of it go, raised the bow up just a bit farther then released the string. The arrow flew through the air and hit the dreg right in the throat as it stepped out from behind the cover. His visor going back to normal he walked up to the dreg and looked at it. He has never seen one up close before vary rarely do they come to close to the walls anymore and it's even rarer for one to make it into the city. It looked almost like a human but it looks like it used to have four arms but the lower two were cut off at the elbow but other than that it looked almost like a human with four eyes. It was quite the sight to see.

Well You better get going if you want this plan to work they can't know our buddy here is dead or they would become extra aware.

"Yeah I know I'm going now I just wanted to take a look at what I'm fighting against" Craig said as he picked up the Dreg's knife and started jogging into the forest. After a few minutes he stopped and looked around "So are you sure they will pass this spot" Craig said.

Not at all but it seems likely the other dreg came through this way look you can see his boot prints.

Inside the visor the indentations in the soil light up yellow for Craig to see. "Well I better go up into the trees now then and go a bit further we don't want them seeing my boot marks."

Yeah that's a good idea you should probably kill the ones in the back first too so they might not notice right away.

"I'll try that now see if you can find a good way for me to climb up there" Craig said as he stared up into the canopy.

After a three minutes they finally found an easy way for Craig to climb up the trees and he went another hundred meters farther south where the fallen should be coming from. He sat in the tree with three arrows picked out and in the mini quiver on the bow and one sitting loosely on the string. The radar got a flash of red on it something big has entered the range, or multiple things. He sat in the tree watching the radar slowly becoming a darker red and filling up more when it changed to orange.

"What does orange mean?" Craig whispered.

Well right now it means they are under you, but it just means they are at a different elevation then you. It's useful to know when your inside a building it means someone is on a different floor.

The first fallen walked slowly into sight below him it was another dreg then two more followed him then in the back of the line there was another fallen Craig has not seen before It had white armor and a red cape, and a helmet.

"I thought you said they don't wear helmets" Craig angrily whispered.

Opps I guess they do… but it should still be no problem, I mean your arrows are armor piercing.

"Fine okay just shut up I need a second to think" Craig said a bit louder then he meant.

The fallen stopped and looked around they heard him they just didn't know where he was and Craig needed it to stay that way.

"Go down there and make a noise in front of them so they head towards you again" Craig whispered this time.

I don't like this idea

"Yeah well if you don't that rifle he is holding will be sure to kill me so get moving" He hissed

Very well. He split to pieces and vanished

All the fallen quickly looked the same way again and started moving quietly in that direction. The ghost did it he got them moving again. Craig stood up and pulled back the arrow aiming down to the back of the strange fallen, taking a breath he let it go it flew through the air and hit the fallen in his back. Screeching in pain it quickly turned around to see where the pain was coming from he turned just in time for another arrow between his eyes. The Dreg's turned looking to their leader wondering why it screamed in pain only to see him already lying dead on the floor blood pooling around him. Craig let out a third arrow that cut straight through the dreg's thought that stood behind the other two, before they realized he was dead they were both with him lying on the floor. The ghost appearing by his side again.

Well how did I do?

"Well I'm still alive so you did good in my books" Craig responded "now I need to figure out how to get down from here." He continued looking around the tree.

Allow me. The ghost said as it split into pieces and scanned Craig then they both appered at the bottom of the tree.

"Why couldn't you of done that to get me up there in the first place"

Well you never asked

"Okay can you radio out to Andrew?" Craig said "I want to know if I'll get new arrows tomorrow or if I need these ones again".

A few seconds pass he said to do as you see fit he can't tell you anymore.

After a few minutes thinking Craig took the arrows out of the dead fallen and took the rifle the strange one was holding. "What is this one called?" Craig said standing over the dead fallen.

Ahh this one is a vandal going through the records they are dregs who proved themselves in battle with their third and fourth arm grown back and not re-amputated they control their own team of dregs under direct command of the captains. So I'm guessing the dreg we killed up the hill was the scout for this one, and there could be more patrols out there.

"Well what's your radars range then can we see if there's anything else out here or am I blind till they get closer if there even is any." Craig asked and stared at the ghost.

You're blind for now my radar only sands for a hundred meters or so, I'll see what I can do about increasing that once we get out of here.

"Great lets head back to the camp and see what we can do get accomplished for today, and hope no more of these fallen show up." Craig said as he started back towards the mountain. "Any chance you can teleport me up to the cave?" Craig asked after a few seconds of walking.

Well I could, but I'm being told not to, plus I need time to recharge after teleporting from the tree.

"Very well let's get walking" Craig said as he walked through the trees.

After Craig made it back to the cave and made a fire to clean the water he collected, he had lost one arrow due to the helmet bending the tip, the rest where cleaned and back in the quiver. The rifle laid across the wall it wouldn't shoot for him assuming it had some kind of sensors to tell he wasn't a fallen. The fire was small and the smoke left through a small hole in the wall Craig mad using the fallen's knife as a pick against the rock. It has been a long day but it now seemed like it was over nothing else was seeming to happen.

Okay I'm being told to teleport you to the door so we can leave for the night and being told you need to leave everything in here, but don't worry nothing will be touched.

"Okay well let's get out of here we have some stuff to do before tomorrow comes around." Craig said and put down the knife he was using to sharpen a stick and stood up.

Instantly they were outside the door standing next to Andrew who was typing something on the computer real fast. Craig got a quick glimpse of it and it read.

**First day survival training- End of day report. **

**Location- tower survival simulator**

**Subject- Craig Hunt**

**Class- Unknown**

**Notes- Has shown knowledge of robotics wiring the ghost to what seems to be a watch, have talked about increasing radar on ghost could be revolutionary to all guardians. **

**Weapon Choice- B +**

**Shelter- B + **

**Food- f**

**Fire- A**

**Water- B**

**Kills- 5/5**

**Other- He shows promise to being a great Guardian, guessing he is a hunter testing for class tomorrow.**

**Inspector- Andrew-23**

Andrew quickly closed the computer and turned to look at them "Good job Craig, make sure to get here bright and early tomorrow for more training. Oh and also Thursday night you will be staying in the simulation room all night and will be leaving for the wilderness Friday at noon be sure to pack beforehand and we will supply you with the weapons you want" he finished saying as he walked them to the elevator.

It was a long ride home on the empty road everyone was at a bar or home at this time stores closed at nine most restaurants where also closing other than a few of the nicer ones that still where full of life and music. Most common people don't like being out side at night because the fallen tend to try getting into the city under the protection of the night sky. But something seemed off something told Craig to get out of here that something was off around here. He stopped his sparrow and looked around. He saw something in the side street, something familiar but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Ghost can you scan that street" Craig whispered into his helmet.

Fine I thought we were done for the night but if you want to go out of your way to find trouble that's up to you. According to scans there's nothing down that street that is out of the ordinary. There's two sparrows parked on the left side a dumpster on the right and four doors along the alley. Anything else?

"I guess not, I guess I was seeing things" Craig said as he continued to stare down the alley, it caught his eye again slight movement. "Is there any way you could have missed something?" He asked.

Well as of now fallen have not made anything that has the ability to hide from ghost scans.

Craig continued to stare at it an almost purple glow was in the air behind the dumpster it just did not feel right. "How good is your teleporting? Can you get me the bow and arrows from the cave?" Craig asked the alley driving him insane.

No I can't get back in there but give me a minute and I'll think of something I can do… That's it a FOTC ship is flying nearby on patrol ill have them deliver you a rifle but I don't see why there's nothing back there…. Unless no never mind.

"Unless what?" Craig asked.

Well some hunters have the ability to become almost invisible stay off the ghost radar, but it only lasts about ten seconds he. We have been sitting here a few minutes now so they should have appeared back by now.

"What if the fallen figured out how to do that but stay invisible" Craig said.

Well if that's the case we could really use that rifle right now give me a minute.

The ghost vanished appearing back after twenty or so seconds and a scout rifle appeared sitting on the sparrow. Quickly Craig picked it up and he heard a yell coming from the alley. He turned down the alley brought the gun up to look down the sights the purple glow had moved it was now coming towards him. One shot fired echoing through the empty streets lights in houses turned on all around him. Laying on the floor was a vandal with a bullet in its chest. It had two swords that where laying on the floor next to him. People starting coming out of their houses to find out what happened and a FOTC ship was landing besides them.

It's a vandal, a vandal got into the city! We can't let people hear about this they will start rioting if they found out. I'll send a message back to the vanguard, they need to know about this.

More FOTC ships where approaching and Craig went to talk to the man that was already here. "We need to block this alley and can't let anyone know what happened here and we need a sweep through this part of town to find anymore fallen if there are any." Craig said to the man.

"Well who do you think you are giving me orders? I am a member of the homeland security and out rank all civilians among this city." The man said.

"Oh really what's your name Mr. big shot" Craig said with a smirk.

"I'm officer Luke Rivers head of homeland quadrant thirty-two if you must know and you are? Besides illegally having possession of a fire arm that is." He said.

"I'm glad you asked my name is Craig, and I am a Guardian of the last safe city on earth and territories of the solar system." He said as the smirk on Luke's face disappeared.

"You can't be a guardian where's your armor? Where's your ghost?" He said trying to save his argument.

I'm right here if you must know

Luke turned around to see the ghost floating behind him, then turned back to Craig angry "okay so you are a guardian great, there goes my job."

"Just do as I said and I won't report you I'm leaving now I'm tired and want to go home." Craig said as he got back on his sparrow and left riding back into the city.

Luke watched him leave, "that's no guardian he's heading into the city he said he wanted to go home, all guardians live in the tower." He said to himself. He picked up his radio "All forces look for a man riding a sparrow down highway three into the city, he is claiming to be a guardian and has what seems to be a ghost droid with him, he is armed and dangerous" Luck said and put down his radio and walked into the alley to see what actually happened here.

Craig we are going to want to get off this road and head home fast that Police officer called in on us saying you're not a real guardian and trying to get you arrested. What did you do while I was gone?

"Well he wanted to play the title game so I told him I was a guardian and he got mad I have a higher status then him." Craig said right before a bright light turned on and shined down onto him and his sparrow. "This is going to be a long night, what should I do stop or try to out run them?" Craig asked.

I would stop I'll get the vanguard to call in for you just don't die while I'm gone.

"Fine but hurry up I don't want to spend all night in jail." Craig said and stopped the sparrow in the middle of the street.

Splitting into multiple triangles the ghost teleported away.


	7. Chapter 6

1:00 A.M. the next morning

Location: jail cell somewhere under the city.

"I've already told you people I'm a guardian let me out!" Craig screamed as he walked back and forth in the small cell

The room was large and in the center of the room was the cell Craig has been in all night, only one light was on hanging high above the cell swinging slowly and flickering on and off. The rest of the room was black the only other little light came from two red laser beams that followed Craig as he walked back and forth, Probably connected to a gun hidden in the dark. The floor was cold and Craig's shoes were confiscated along with the rest of his cloths, he was in the standard orange jump suit all prisoners wore.

Part of the floor lowered and spread open as a bed slowly rose up into the cell, well if you could call it a bed it was a thin mattress barely more than two centimeters. The light dimed as if saying go to sleep, Craig laid down just thinking where the hell is my ghost.

The night before

I would stop I'll get the vanguard to call in for you just don't die while I'm gone.

"Fine but hurry up I don't want to spend all night in jail." Craig said and stopped the sparrow in the middle of the street.

Splitting into multiple triangles the ghost teleported away.

Oh god I need to get to the tower, why didn't my teleport work it should have been charged by then. Who knows what will happen to Craig if I can't get to the vanguard in time. I'll just fly there I guess and hope it's not too late.

The ghost flew off into the night sky heading back towards the tower as fast as it could.

At least I can follow his location and vitals threw the watch, maybe it was a good idea after all. There's the tower I just need to make it all the way up there now. The ghost said as it looked up the tall wall and farther up to the top of the tower. No time to waste ill see if I can jump that far yet

The teleport took him about halfway up the tower to about the height of the wall then continued rising up the rest of the way hoping to make it to the top fast. It took about ten minutes to make it to the top finally. Most of the lights have been shut off the south side still lit up and the hallway to vanguard lit but the rest was bare. Tiredly the ghost started floating towards the stairway into the vanguard room when it heard something.

"Greetings ghost how do you do at such an hour without a guardian." A voice came.

The ghost span around and looked at the masked figure that stood there, He continued looking at the ghost.

"Well are you going to tell me what's wrong?" The man said tilting his head.

It's nothing to worry the speaker over sir

The ghost just stared at him something felt wrong about this, about him.

"Well then you better be off to where you were headed or you can accompany me as I go to the vanguard if that is where you are heading." The speaker said, as he started to walk past the ghost.

The ghost flew after the speaker and headed down the stairs, and into the meeting room for the vanguard Cayde was standing to the right of the war table, it looked like a brand new table. Hmmm wonder what happened to the old table? The ghost thought to its self. Ikora stood at the front opposite of Zavala, she turned around at the sound of them entering.

"Greetings speaker how do you do?" Ikora asked, tenseness in her voice.

"be at ease I just came to see how you three where doing today, I heard there was a problem with hive on the moon." The speaker calmly said, "Oh and this ghost was coming to look for you three with a problem it didn't want to share with me…"

Everyone looked at the ghost Zavala raised an eyebrow as he stared.

"Well what's this problem then" he said not taking his eyes off the ghost.

It's my guardian he was arrested about an hour ago, by the Forces Of The City, they took him claiming he was an imposter.

"Well why would they think he was an imposter? What where you up to?" The Speaker asked.

We were on the way back to his house, and he…

"Yes yes we know what had happened, you neediest not worry yourself Speaker all if fine we shall take care of it." Ikora Said cutting off the ghost.

"Ah yes I'll send word as soon as I can" Cayde said backing up Ikoras' claim.

"The matter on the moon also has been dealt with we sent another team of guardians out there to push them back out of the research area." Zavala said "we wish you a good night sir let the light be strong in you". He finished.

The speaker looked around at the three of them then back at the ghost, he didn't like the felling that he wasn't being told the situation but he would have to allow it, for now at least. "Very well I will be in my chambers if anything happens send someone for me, and don't forget the darkness is closer then we think" As he said the last part he turned and walked out of the room back up the stairs.

The ghost looked around completely confused on what had happened in here well can you get him out of prison?

"Of course we can… as soon as skyfox-311 gets back from a dark perimeter check, it might take an hour or two though, but nothing will happen to your guardian until then" Cayde said to the ghost. "Oh and we want to talk to your guardian as soon as we get a chance it is very important that we talk to him before his training tomorrow." Cayde continued.

Why is that? Is something wrong?

"No not yet and if everything goes right nothing will go Wrong either, but if we can't talk to him before training he will be in a lot of danger."

Why what's going on?

"We will tell you soon but right now right here isn't safe, go back to your guardian we will get tell you very soon, oh and don't tell him anything yet don't tell him of this conversation and don't tell him you saw the speaker." Ikora said. "Now hurry be off."

The ghost split into all the pieces and teleported away back to Craig, except he wasn't at craig, he was close he could feel it but he wasn't here, wait he was here, but he was nowhere to be seen. The ghost looked around for any sign of him he had to be here somewhere right here. He was down. He teleported through the ground into the cell Craig was laying down asleep.

Don't worry you'll be out of here soon.

The ghost said then landed on the bed next to Craig and went into a rest.


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey guys well here's the next chapter don't forget to live a review on it :D and i still need more guardians for the story so be sure to offer your own characters and a description of them. ummm ya the next few chapters should be really interesting, oh and on a side note this story is happening on an original time line that isn't quite the same as the story in case you missed that.**

Craig woke up to bright lights and the noise of the cell being opened, he saw the ghost laying on the bed besides him the eye turning blue and it lifted off the bed.

"Craig, you're free to go, we're sorry for the inconvenience." The Guard said and led Craig into a room where all his stuff was, "I'll be outside when you change."

The guard walked out and closed the door, Craig took off the shirt he was given and put his back on then his watch. "You wanna give me some privacy?" Craig said to the ghost.

Oh of course ill just be…. Well I'll be here if you need me

The ghost then vanished leaving Craig to change alone. After he changed he walked out the door and the guard stood there silently then reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope handing it to Craig "this is for the inconvenience we have put you through." The guard said and turned and walked away. "This way" he called out as he continued to walk.

They came to a door that opened into a hanger for hundreds of FOTC hover crafts the closest one had the engine running and lights on. There was a ramp lowered in the back for Craig to walk up, the guard just stood to the side. "This will bring you back to the tower we were told to send you there right away that the vanguard needed to see you. We hope that money is enough for you guardian." The guard said then walked back to the door and left the hanger.

The ship flew very quietly, the windows where blackened so Craig had no idea where he was. The location of the Jails are a very guarded secret, after a few minutes the windows opened and Craig saw they were near the edge of the city It was still early, probably around four the city was dark most lights were off only the wall and the towers had any light coming from them. The guardian tower towered above the rest of them, it was the largest tower of the wall more than double the size of all others. The ship flew towards the top and hovered above the yard in the back. As often as Craig has been to the tower this area has always been closed off for special events. Like the Crucible event that happened two weeks ago, Iron Banner that's what they called it, the tower was closed to civilians that week, well more closed off, it was always closed to normal civilians.

The ship turned and backed up slowly as the ramp lowered, they were about five meters off the lawn bottom of the ramp looked about four meters, the pilot stepped into the room with Craig "you're going to have to jump down I can't lower us anymore without risking setting the grass on fire, and we can't let anyone know you're here. But any guardian should be able to make this jump… even a new one." He said.

"Really you can't I don't know go to the edge of the tower where there is no grass?" Craig said.

"No" the piolet said and went back to the cockpit of the ship.

"Well here goes nothing I guess" Craig said as he took a steep and feel towards the tower.

He landed hard against the ground but it didn't seem to hurt, the ship was already leaving out into the dark sky no lights on within seconds it has blended into the dark night sky. Craig turned around and walked towards the front part of the tower the gate was open that lead to the main section. The courtyard seemed different with all the lights off and the door to the vanguard remained open.

"Well what should I do?" Craig thought

I guess we head down they told me they needed to see you.

"Wait where are you?" Craig asked and looked around.

I'm ummm in your head I guess, I can form outside if you prefer though.

"No… it's I just didn't know you could do that." Craig said "You've always been outside of me when we've talked."

Well this is the first time I've seen it having a purpose remaining inside.

"Well I'm trysting you…" Craig said as he walked down the stairs.

The rooms where dark then something covered Craig's mouth and held him in place.

"I'm going to let go of you do not say a word." It was Cayde that held Craig.

Craig could just nod his head showing he agreed. Then Cayde let go and closed the door behind them. He whispered "Follow me." As he walked into the Council room, he turned to the left where a computer was set up against the wall. Cayde hit a few buttons and the wall opened into another room full of light. They stepped in and the door closed behind them, Ikora and Zavala already where there sitting on one of the Couches that sat in the middle of the room. There were two other couches in the room with a table they used as a foot rest between them a television hung on the wall in front of them with one door off to the side of it. The rest of the room seemed pretty bare except for the map of the city hanging on another wall.

"Where are we?" Craig asked.

"Nowhere." Zavala responded right away, "This place doesn't exist and you will not tell anyone about it who isn't in this room" He finished.

"Well okay why am I here then." Craig asked.

"You're not here you're still in jail and will be released in the morning" Zavala said.

"Well why am i… not here then?" Craig asked still confused.

"We need to talk to you, first off did homeland give you a check already?" Zavala said.

"Yes? Why?" Craig said?

"In a couple days spend it all don't save any of it, go pay off your house buy a jump ship do whatever you need to get rid of it all buy big stuff buy small stuff it doesn't matter" Zavala said, and sat up in the couch.

"Why? Why can't I save it?" Craig asked?

"It's not safe we don't know who works for who anymore a lot has changed in the last few days, the money might be being tracked and we don't want anyone knowing where you are." Ikora said picking up a glass of water from the table between them.

"Where are our matters sit we have a lot to talk about" Ikora said.

Craig sat on the couch and looked around, "well where shall we start?" Craig said.

"It's a long story it began about two hundred and fifty years ago, when the legendary titan Hank was first discovered he was the first guardian to ever be chosen from the living up until then and always after only two others have been alive when chosen" Ikora said.

"Me and who else?" Craig said.

"Jasmine, in fact all three of you were discovered on the same day one hundred years apart from each other." Ikora said.

"Anyways" Zavala Said "Hank was a powerful titan one of the strongest we've ever seen with in the first few weeks he was showing the ability to use both of the known powers the different titans hold, not many can use both abilities even fewer can use both at the same time." Zavala said.

"After a few months something strange happened while he was out on patrol he was spying on some fallen when he turned invisible, he was the first one to ever have the ability of two classes. After many years he was a master of all three classes and could use any ability at will, the golden gun, the Ward of Dawn, even Radiance" Zavala started. "He came to me after the patrol and Ikora, Cayde and I talked for a long time what to do, Both Ikora and me fairly new to the Vanguard. We finally went to the speaker, and asked him what to do, he said he knew something was different about him, and it was all clear now, clear we could never reveal his true power to the city. If the fractions ever found out it would start a war between them." He continued.

"Wait they found out about his powers didn't they? That's what started the War of the City wasn't it?" Craig said thinking back to school.

"Yes Hank made a mistake and one day and used a Nova Bomb on a fallen Walker attacking the city, only about ten people saw him but Two of them where high members of Future War Cult and New Monarchy. If Dead Orbit would have had a Reprsenitive out there that day the war may never of stopped, after the war a new section of homeland security was put into place to handle these conflicts so another war should never happen again. And we quickly changed the reason of the war for the public so no one would know the true reason of the war." Cayde said, "But we are running out of time we can talk again tonight after your training with Andrew."

"Hank was a Titan, Jasmine was a warlock, can you guess what you're going to be?" Cayde asked.

"A hunter?" Craig said after a moment of thought.

"Get this man a prize he got it in one" Cayde said his dry scence of humor showing, and no one laughed just looked at him. "well um yes, you will be classified as a hunter, Ikora and me had to make a bet to decide which got to teach Jasmin first and clam her as our class, to be fair I still think Ikora cheated."

"I'm not you Cayde I would never cheat on something so serious" Ikora said obviously mad at that statement.

"Yeah okay I swear the dice flipped one to many times for the force I threw it at." Cayde said back to her.

"Well maybe I gave it a push but just enough to throw off your calculations had to make it fair for both of us, didn't I Mr. Super Computer." Ikora said.

"You just didn't trust me Teaching Jasmine you always had a soft spot for her even before you found out she was a triguard." Cayde said.

"Umm excuse me? We were talking about me here." Craig said. "And what the hell is a triguard?" He asked.

"Oh well that's what we call you three now, triguards the ability to use all three guardian classes it seemed to fit at the time, and yes sorry we were talking about you, you are in a lot of danger if anyone finds out that you can use all three powers, and so is the City." Ikora said, "And we don't think the city can handle another war the fallen have gotten much stronger since the last war.

"Well what can I do to help?" Craig asked. "We will teach you how to handle your powers, and control them. Then just like Jasmin you will have to go to the colony we set up for Hank, and there you and your family will be safe, we supply the colony as much as we can but it will become harder with the new speaker, The last speaker knew about Hank and Jasmine and knew about the colony. About three weeks ago he came here to us and told us not to trust anyone other than the next of the triguardian." Ikora said.

"He knew he was going to die?" Craig asked.

"We don't think he just died, we think he was killed by something." Zavala said as he stood up. "We're wasting time we need to tell you how to get through tomorrow, get your ghost out."

"Ghost?" Craig said.

The ghost materialized right over his shoulder.

"okay let's try this again silently this time." Cayde said.

Can we skip this part… ill teach Craig how to do it later I rather know how to save my guardian.

"Very well, we will ask him again tonight then though." Cayde said. "Ghost bring up a hologram of the arena… yes we know you scanned it all and we really don't care Andrew doesn't know.

Fine… The ghost said kinda hurt that they knew he did it, and shined out a hologram of the room.

"Okay this is what you are going to need to do" Cayde started.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey guys sorry for taking so long its finals week for me so been busy studying for those :/ anyways starting this week i'm gonna try to be more regular and will try posting a new chapter every Monday. thanks for being so understanding. sorry for this chapter being so small too i had an idea what i wanted it to be like but lost it as i was writing (another reason this chapter is so late) but i hope you enjoy it all the same. (also still need character ideas not all of them need to be guardians) **

With little sleep Craig walked to the elevator the hallway seemed to go on forever, these next three days will be the longest days of his life, and quite possibly his last. It seems like the meeting with the vanguard took place weeks ago not two hours ago. The elevator doors opened when they got to the floor and Craig stepped forward into the room Andrew was standing behind the desk again going over some paper work, "ahh Craig you're here early well we better get started since we need to get out to the blimp by noon to get you out on schedule." He said. "Steep up to the plate guardian" he finished. A square on the floor lit up and Craig steeped up to it and instantly was back in the cave from last night.

"okay the mountain you're on has a cave behind the waterfall about three quarters up it your first task is to get to the cave" Andrews voice came from the sky. "Once you get there I will tell you the next thing you will have to do" he finished.

Craig grabbed his quiver and bow then headed for the bow, he turned back and snatched the book bag off the floor too before he left. He hiked around the mountain to get to the side with the water fall and stared at it, it was about fifty meters tall and six meters wide pouring water from who knows where down into the river.

Don't forget you can't just do everything right away you need to look like you're thinking about it so not to tip anyone off. The vanguard said with any luck your powers will automatically activate in the middle of the test.

"Yeah I know" Craig thought to himself so only the ghost could hear it. "So I need to go to the top and repel down right?" He thought.

Yep and they said if you really want to make it compelling use an arrow to hook the rope to a tree or something

"And if the rope slides off the arrow?" He thought.

Well you better not use an arrow then… we don't want to risk that happening.

"Yea good idea and I don't have enough rope to lower myself down that far I need to find some vines or something else that will work." Craig thought

Down in the forest some there were plenty of vines hanging from the trees he gathered a bunch of them then made his way back up the mountain, at the top of the water fall there were a few large rocks off to the side of the river. None of them would work they were either too small or too far from the fall, if he was to use them he would be hanging over the end with no way to get to the cave. There was one rock in the center of the water fall, it looked big enough but there was no way to get there from here. Unless. Craig pulled an arrow from the quiver and tied a piece of the vine to the tip of it raised the bow and shot across the river and sticking into a tree on the other side of the water.

"Here goes nothing" Craig said jumped into the water pulling himself to the center and onto the rock where he wrapped the rest of the vine around it a few times. "I made it" Craig said out loud out of breath. "Why the hell did you have to pick me as a guardian" Craig shouted.

Cause you have the light inside of you.

"Well if I knew it would lead me to this I would of shut it off" Craig yelled, then started lowering himself down praying that the vine would hold his weight, and the water pouring down on him making it hard to breath. He lowered himself down till the end of the vine he could see the cave still below him then he heard it.

The vine snapped and Craig fell, in a flash of blue he was gone then repapered on the floor of the cave. "What did you do?" Craig said looking around for his ghost.

I didn't do anything that was all you

"What how is that possible I can't do…. That whatever that was!" Craig yelled.

It's called blink warlocks and hunters have the ability to do it as there jump method. Well that means we know your one of those classes.

Craig thought "well let's hope it was hunter" Lets the ghost responded in his mind.

They walked through the cave until they came across a door enclosed by rocks. There where marks and the stone frame symbols of some kind, there was no handle on the door and no apparent way to open it. "What do we do now?" Craig asked the ghost.

Well we need to open it, but scans don't show anything that will be able to open it…. You could try pushing it that might work.

Craig pushed on it as hard as he could and it didn't budge, "They never told me how to open this door" Craig thought to his ghost, I know and I don't see any way it can open, maybe you'll just have to sit and wait? The ghost replied back. Craig sat on the floor staring at the door. A flash of blue and everything seemed brighter and the door sank into the ground. "What's" Another flash and the door came back up. "What the hell just happened?" You did it you're a hunter already, that flash of blue you saw that was you turning invisible and the door opened for you because it wouldn't see you this must be how they actually test to see what you are.

"Well congratulations Craig" Andrews voice came from inside the cave "you are undoubtedly a hunter according to that test so let's stop at this point to save time other than titans most people go looking for another way in so the test normally would be a longer, and we are short on time lets teleport you out of there, so you can have a hour before we need to head to the blimp. And head to the finale testing site for your actual survival test, sorry for the rush we normally have more than two days in the simulator before heading out but they told me to take you out this weekend." Andrew continued. "Go see the Cayde he's the hunter vanguard he will set you up with some better armor then your starting training armor now that we have your class.

Craig went to the elevator and started going up to the tower top to visit Cayde and tell him he did it, his hunter powers unlocked and he was ready for the next step he had to keep the rest of his powers hidden. He reached the court yard and took the stairs back down to the vanguard room, they all looked up to him.

"Did it work are you classified as a hunter?" Cayde said in a hushed tone barley auditable to him standing only a few feet away.

Craig simply nodded and everyone let out a long breath with a world of burden being lifted off their shoulders.

"Well hunter" Cayde said in his normal voice "we better get you some armor suited for your class." "Oh and go buy a ship with the money and fill the glimmer tank" Cayde said in his hushed voice again. "Then pay off that house of yours in the town when you get back"

Craig nodded then after he got set up with the armor he walked out and headed for the South tower bay where the hanger was located to talk to Holiday about getting a ship, after about twenty minutes Craig walked back out and headed to the elevator to go back downstairs to Andrew, his new ship was parked in the garages under the tower.


	10. Chapter 9

Craig stood there as the doors opened, Andrew and him stood in a dark room only one light was on hanging high on the celling. More lights started turning on and a ship sat in the center of the room, it had a large center room obviously where everyone sat and everything was stored then two main engines on either side of it. A ramp came from the back of it allowing easy access to the ship, Andrew was walking up the ramp then stopped and turned. "Are you coming? We are in a rush." He then continued up the ramp into the ship.

"So what is this ship called?" Craig asked when he got into the cockpit with Andrew.

"Oh umm I believe it's called Belisarius Defiant, but I'm not entirely sure Lord Shaxx accidently ordered ten thousand of them from holiday, he now gives them out sometimes during crucible matches." Andrew laughed to himself slightly, "Amanda wasn't happy when Shaxx told her he didn't have the money for these, I've never seen him scared of anyone that much before, or after for that matter"

"Well what happened? Did she get the money for them?" Craig asked.

"Oh she got the money alright, don't think shaxx would still be around if she didn't." Andrew stated pressing a few buttons on the dash board.

"What are you doing?" Craig asked as he watched Andrew press more buttons.

"Oh I'm just putting us in the queue for launch so we can head to the blimp. And get you ready for your survival weekend"

"Oh and why do we need to go to this blimp couldn't the ship make it to where ever it is we are going? Or could it not reach that far? Where is it we are going by the way?"

Andrew looked over at Craig "Can you ask one question at a time? Or do they all have to come in sets?"

Craig looked back at him. "I hate to point this out but I think you just asked multiple questions at once too."

"I did not" Andrew quickly replied.

Actually you did, you just asked two questions right there.

"I'm starting to regret being the trainer now" Andrew said as he looked at Craig's ghost.

"So" Craig quickly said to break up the argument Andrew and the ghost where having. "Why are we flying to this blimp? You never answered me." Craig said making sure not to ask multiple questions at once this time.

"Ah well umm yes the ship could easily make it there by its self and float in the sky for a few weeks before I would need to go back to a hub to resupply" Andrew started saying.

"A few weeks?!" Craig yelled "I thought I would only be out here this weekend not a few weeks!"

"You are I was just trying to make a point" Andrew said as the ship started moving down the hallway. "You will only be there till Sunday afternoon then we will head back here and you'll get the rest of the day off. Then on Monday we will see how good you are at flying Amanda told me you just went and got a new ship, where did you get the money for one so early? Most Guardians need to work at least a month on the wall before earning the money for their first jump ship. Well anyways you will start training for Rookie week when we get back you have only a couple of weeks left till then and you need to learn how to fly fight track and hide by then or you won't even stand a chance." Andrew just continued talking about all the stuff for rookie week when the light reached the ship, the ship was being lifted up after a moment he could see out in front of him they were no longer in the lift but now the launch bay inside the tower.

"Ship Alpha Bravo Echo 34552 Bravo 2 You are clear to launch from tower hanger stick to predetermined path until you are out of restricted airspace. Winds are blowing west at three knots all weather is clear for the next hundred miles with some storms pass that in the north and east." A voice said over the radio.

"This is Ship Alpha Bravo Echo 34552 Bravo 2 we are taking off and will follow determined course." Andrew said and pressed more buttons on the dash board. A large yellow line appeared on the wind shield as the ship slowly left the hanger and Andrew followed it as they made their first turn to head back around past the tower and into the wild.

After about ten minutes the yellow line disappeared and a message showed up on the screen it read "Neutral airspace fell free to change your course now" then it flashed away. Andrew pressed one more button and another message popped up saying "Auto pilot engaged" and he turned his chair to face Craig.

"ahh sorry about that need to focus when you're near the tower so not to stray from the correct path did that once and I had to buy shaxx a new ship, the turrets are pretty picky about who gets close to the wall and who doesn't, get off course even a little and you become some massive threat to the city." Andrew said. "Anyways back to your question the reason we use the blimp is it's a lot bigger then this little ship ill have much more room to walk around and it will be easier to watch you from it.

"Oh okay that makes scene I guess" Craig said as he looked out the window, Craig has never been in a jump ship before and the view from up here was outstanding to him.

"See that mountain over there? That's the Kuznetsk Alatau Mountain range. We will be flying for about four hours before we reach the blimp then we another hour or two in the blimp before we reach the destination and should pass a few amazing sights along the way." Andrew said pointing off to the distance where a mountain range could barely be seen at the horizon.

"So where is it that we are heading? " Craig asked.

"oh well we're heading to Watford where we will drop you off, we will then follow you as you head to London, it's a huge city in old United Kingdom, its mostly cleared out with a few guardian safe houses throughout it. We send regular sweeps through the area to keep it cleaned out its one of those few safe cities around the world…. Safe being a relative term its nothing like the City but it shouldn't be too bad the journey getting there I can't say the same but nothing has been reported yet." Andrew said. "We will go over the area a lot more thrall when we get to the blimp. You can go sleep in the back room if you want it's not big but it is a bed."

"Well thanks I think I'll go get some sleep hopefully will get up before we reach the blimp." Craig said and got up heading back into the small hallway behind the cockpit. There was a door on three of the four walls the one Craig just walked out of that lead to the cockpit one on the left that led to the small personal room and one on the right where all the guns and ammo was stored including the ammo for the guns on the ship. The center of the hall way lowered into the storage room for the sparrow and the walkway to exit the ship. He went into the small room to the left there was a chair and a table in the room and a small panel on the wall with a few buttons. He pressed the red button on the panel and a bed lowed from the wall taking up most of the room. He laid down on the bed and fell asleep instantly.

He woke up to an alarm going off on the panel, flashing red. "Ghost armor now" Craig said and his armor appeared on him with the helmet appearing on the table he grabed it and went to the cockpit. "What's the emergency" he said as he burst into the room.

"Oh nothing that was just to wake you up, we're here." Andrew said. Craig looked out the window a giant blimp was in the sky mostly white with a black top. It had two large propellers slowly spinning pushing it forward with two smaller turbines on either side for steering. Suddenly half of the roof of the blimp vanished and the ship flew into the now open roof before it reappeared. There were several other ships in this room of varying sizes one ship looked barely big enough to carry two people others looked like they would carry a hundred people. Lights turned on allowing more light to flood the room. It was already pretty bright the roof was mostly glass or, some kind of field Craig wasn't quite sure what it was since it just disappeared and reappeared. Someone walked up a set of stairs

"Welcome to paradise Commander Andrew and Craig" The man said. "I'm Captain Mike" He said and saluted to them. "You got here a bit faster than we thought you would we are still two hours out from the drop zone debriefing will be held in the helm in one hour, see you there.


	11. Chapter 10

p class="MsoNormal"spanstrongspan style="font-size: medium;"span style="line-height: 107%;"Hey guys so /spanspan style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"here is/spanspan style="line-height: 107%;" the next chapter i'm not sure if ill get a chapter done by next /spanspan style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"Monday/spanspan style="line-height: 107%;" with HoW /spanspan style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"coming out/spanspan style="line-height: 107%;" tomorrow got a lot of playing to do but ill try my best even though i know /spanspan style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"there's/spanspan style="line-height: 107%;" not that many people actually reading this ... we for those who are hope you enjoy it and look foward to the next chapter./span/span/strongspan style="font-size: medium;"span style="line-height: 107%;" /span/span/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;" Craig walked into the helm of the ship there three of the four walls where almost entirely made of glass giving view to everything around them. In the center of the room there was a large steering wheel and behind that stood a large low table. There was about twenty men in this room most of them sitting in front of computers and watching radars or some kind of scanner, Mike was at the wheel he just slightly tilted it to the left and pushed on a lever along the wheel Andrew was standing next to the table and looked up as Craig entered the room./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Ah Craig right on time" Andrew said making Mike look up and turned around./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Good afternoon sir we are just under an hour away from the drop zone" Mike said, then turned back around looking at a small screen next to the wheel. He nodded his satisfaction and turned the wheel slightly to the right probably straightening out the ship again, he then pulled back on the handle on the column and turned to face the table again. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Okay so what is this debriefing for?" Craig asked. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Oh it's not to important we just want to give you an idea of the land you'll be dropped into and the area you would need to cover to get to the pickup site. It's about thirty three kilometers away not quite and there are different ways you could get there. Andrew pressed a button on the table and a hologram of the area came up. "Set a marker on Watford and London" Andrew said and a star appeared on both destinations. Andrew put his hand between the two destinations and spread his fingers apart instantly it zoomed in where his had was stopping just in time to leave both markers on the map. "as you can see the terrain isn't too bad between these two city's most of the roads are stable too even a few of the larger bridges and roads have worn away and collapsed but all manageable area." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Sir" A man sitting at a computer called and Mike quickly turned around./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Yes what is it David? Mike said /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Wind just changed direction, it's now a south, south east wind. Blowing at about seven knots." David said reading from his screen. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"Mike turned to Craig and Andrew, "Looks like we will get there a little sooner than we thought." He said with a grin then turned away to mess with the steering wheel. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"A moment before the ride was a little bumpy probably to do with the fact they were fighting with the wind to move, now it sailed barley seeming to move quickly Towards Watford. They went over more about the wildlife in the area which consisted mostly of old domestic animal's chickens, cows, some pig, and some sheep. However there were also a few mutant animals nothing that should cause too big of a problem. Mike brought up a report of the area that covered the last four weeks and it showed only five fallen ships have traveled through the area in that time. All in all it looked like it would be an easy weekend. At least that's what Craig was hoping it looked like. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"They reached Watford in just under twenty minutes Giving Craig another forty minutes of time of this weekend he wouldn't have had previously. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Now remember I will fly down to the landing strip Saturday night at five, if you are not there by five thirty I will leave and come back the next day, and I will continue that process again until you make it to the air field." Andrew said. "But it's only thirty kilometers you should be able to make it there by tomorrow even if you waited till tomorrow to leave. It won't be a fun hike but it's not too long."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;" They walked to a door labeled "cargo, drop hanger" and the door opened lights started turning on and the first thing Craig saw was a small plane looking thing the wings where a bit short and it only had one very small propeller, but the strangest thing about it was instead of one tail there where two that combined into one at the end. Other than that it was just two chairs and a steering column. "There's no way that will get me to London" Craig said looking at it. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""It's not supposed to this is to get you to the ground the blimp has lowered itself down to about ten kilometers above the ground but that's as low as it can safely descend any more it risks crashing due to air pressers and what not, that's really mikes area of expertise not mine. Anyways this glider is designed to get you down and be able to land in a field or a street, as long as there's no cars in the way. On other thought you should probably stick to a field there are a few good fields around here where you can land and start on your way." Andrew said as he walked to the glider and lifted the hatch allowing the glass to swing to one side. "There's a parachute in there if it comes down to that, but I wouldn't use it anywhere under one hundred and fifty meters if I where you." He said almost as a second thought. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;" Andrew set a case in the back seat of the glider and motioned Craig to get in, Craig was in full armor besides his helmet which he was holding in his hand his two knifes where in there sheaf's and the bow was in the case Andrew just set inside all in all he had everything he was getting. Craig climbed into the glider then put his helmet on, it connected to the chest piece and formed an air tight seal then the screen came on and he could see again. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""One last thing there's only about a quarter of a litter of fuel in here for two reasons, one you can't fly straight to London, two…. If you crash it will be a much smaller explosion." As Andrew said that he closed the glass and walked towards a red lever on the wall. As he pulled it a ramp started to open for the glider to go through. A red light lit up above the ramp until it finished opening then it turned green giving Craig the go ahead to jump out./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Ghost" Craig said./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"Yes? Need something Craig?/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Yea one thing real fast, how do I turn this thing on?" Craig asked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"You've got to be kidding me, that's all you needed? /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Yes, you're here to help me aren't you?" Craig responded dryly to the ghost./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"Yes yes okay let me turn it on for you…. You would think such a great guardian would know how to turn on a simple glider./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Just get this thing moving" Craig snapped at it. Seconds later the engine began and the little glider rolled out of the ramp into almost a free fall. Craig pulled back on the steering handles and dropped the speed to an idle as he leveled off the glider. "I'm going to need a place to land this any ideas?" Craig asked looking around. The view was amazing there where large buildings and sky scrapers around the area most where being token back by the plant life and where being over grown, others were completely destroyed as if a missile had hit them which in all honesty probably is what happened Craig thought./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"Well there are some rather large fields to the east of the city if you could make it there, but if that's not possible I found a spot on a road that's bare of cars for a little distance you should be able to land there… if you time it correctly. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;" /spanspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"Craig thought about it for a minute "where's the road I want to land there I want to be in the city as fast as I can I have an idea on how to travel forming in the back of my head." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"Oh its north of this location turn now we will be above the road in a minute the clearing is about two kilometers north of here./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;" Craig pulled the stick to the left turning the glider to the north and brought the glider lower gliding just above the buildings, cars littered the street up ahead he could see the cars thinning out until a long area was clear. That must have been where my ghost saw Craig thought to himself. He lowered the glider until he was only six meters off the ground, flying between the buildings./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"WAIT! Don't land yet go another ten meters then land if you land here the bridge may collapse, its unstable right here./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"Craig looked up "okay ten meters there's about two hundred meters till the next car on the bridge and then" He slammed the throttle stick back putting the engine into full reverse. The wheels hit the road and it bounced back up, where the wheels hit the bridge started cracking unknowingly to Craig. It touched down one more time and rolled for another fifty meters till it stopped. The cars on the bridge where another twenty meters ahead of where Craig was standing, He pushed up the glass and grabbed the two backpacks and the case for his bow and started walking towards the cars./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"Craig looked up at a quiet noise he heard. "What was that?" he said and his ghost appeared alongside of him. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"What was what?/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""I heard a noise I was really quiet and….. There it is again!" Craig yelled and looked back towards glider. "I think it's coming from that direction." /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"It all happened in the space of a second. A large crack echoed through the bridge as it began giving way where the glider touched down the first time a chunk of the bridge collapsed and fell onto the street below it. Then it happened, the ground under the glider gave in one wing snapped off as the glider fell into the newly created hole. The wing caused the bridge under it to give way now too as smaller chunks started falling, the bridge shook as more chunks of it fell away. Craig turned and ran all around the cracks in the bridge where forming and then it happened. Unaware to Craig the glider fell onto a Pre golden age truck carrying gasoline, even though most of the gas had evaporated during this long time there was still some inside of it. What made it worse the hydrogen fuel for the glider reacts violently with gasoline. Boom! An explosion rang out from below the bridge the bang echoed off the buildings that still stood, other buildings collapsed to the pressure wave emitted by it, the bridge gave one last shake before it all started to collapse completely. The shock wave threw Craig into a car, he still had his two bags but the bow case was laying five meters away on the floor. He got up and staggered towards it head ringing from the explosion and hitting it against the car. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Ghost, get me out of here" Craig groaned as he fell tripping from a rock falling out from under his foot./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"I'm looking for a safe spot give me a second. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Get me out of here now!" Craig yelled, he reached out and grabbed the handle to the bow case when the bridge under him collapsed. He was falling to the fire and debris on the ground below. Craig closed his eyes tight and he hit the ground. "Ughhh" he shouted as he hit. Craig opened his eyes and he was on top of a building./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"I went as fast as I could./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Thanks I would have died if it wasn't for you." Craig said softly. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"You're welcome, now let me see what's wrong with you. Your armor is picking up on all kinds of Hermon releases and your vitals are all over the place./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"Craig laid his head back every breath giving him pain. "Do what you have to do I want to start moving as soon as I can." Craig said./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Agency FB',sans-serif;"You won't be going anywhere till tomorrow morning there's only two hours of light left and it's not safe traveling at night in unknown territory. Plus you have a concussion three broken ribs and a fractured arm. It will take me at least three hours to fix all of that. So lay down go to sleep ill wake you if anything happens or when we can go./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongspan style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"Back on the blimp./span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""What the hell happened down there" Andrew said pointing to the mushroom cloud about a hundred meters away./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""I have no idea sir but the glider is off line and we haven't got high enough yet to start surveillance yet" Mike said to Andrew./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Do we at least have eyes on Craig?" Andrew asked and turned to face mike./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""Not yet sir, we are trying to get to altitude as fast as we can though." Mike said /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;""We need eyes on Craig now deploy surveillance drones and get me eyes on him" Andrew said then turned and walked out of the helm./span/p 


End file.
